An account of Khalid bin Sinan

It is recorded in reliable sources through Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam as-Sadiq that once a woman came to the holy Prophet. He welcomed her, held her by the hand and seated her beside him on his own sheet and then said that she was the daughter of a Prophet killed by his community. His name was Khalid bin Sinan and he belonged to the tribe of Aus. He used to call his community toward only one Allah but they would not believe.

A fire used to light up every year and it burned some of them. According to a tradition that fire used to burn down whatever stood in its path like animals etc. That fire was called Naarul Harmain. It used to come out of a cave situated near their city. Khalid bin Sinan asked those people would they believe if he spared them from that fire? They agreed. When that fire appeared, Khalid approached it and with a powerful attempt reverted it right into the cave and followed in after it. His community gathered at the opening of the cave thinking that the fire had burnt Khalid inside and that he would not come back. But he came out after a while and clarified that all of his works and deeds were as directed by Allah and also enabled by His will. “Banu Ais had thought that I will not come out of the cave but I have.” Then he returned from there and announced that he would die on such and such day and asked them to bury him.

He further informed them that after some days a herd of animals would come from a forest. One of those wild animals would be without tail. It would stand on his grave. At that time dig up my body and ask me whatever you like and I will tell you about all that has happened in the past and what is to happen until the Last Day of the Resurrection Day. When he expired, the people of his community buried him. Thereafter at the time predicted by him, some animals came out from a jungle and stood near his grave. The people wanted to dig his body out. someone said, When you did not believe him in his life time how will you do so after his death? You will be disgraced among the Arabs if you extricate him from his grave. So they returned home without doing anything. This happened in the period between the lives of Jesus and The Holy Prophet. The name of that girl was Muhyaat.1

1. This hadith is more reliable than the earlier one indicating that Khalid was not a Prophet. Moreover his mention in the Prayer of Umm-Dawud also supports these traditions.